Ripping off the joblessLanding a job could never have been so easy for Manik. All he had to do is to be interviewed, if being asked for his parents' names and address can be called an interview, and then be offered the job.

GM crops on cardsLand-strapped Bangladesh is set to grow genetically modified (GM) crops to augment food production to meet the growing demand of a growing population.

Poor governance stymies poverty-cut effortsThe GDP growth rate in the three years of the coalition government clocks 5 percent on average because of poor governance although it needs to grow at 7 percent if poverty is to be cut down to below 25

AL may join House bodies next weekThe Awami League (AL) is likely to start joining parliamentary standing committees on different ministries next week by attending a meeting of one such body scheduled to discuss the controversy over the

PM vows to work hard for duty-free access to USPrime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday said her government will intensify its efforts to obtain duty-free market access to the US to sustain Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) market there during thequota-free

Safta meet ends with 'fruitful' discussionsThe South Asian nations yesterday wrapped up the fifth expert committee negotiation in Dhaka with a hope to settle four major issues related to the South Asian Free Trade Area (Safta) by June next year

BNP moves to revamp party, face AL actionsThe ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will embark on a set of organisational programmes in the month of Ramadan to put its house in order and face probable anti-government agitation by the main

Ahmadiyya leaders demand arrest of zealotsThe Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Bangladesh yesterday appealed to the government to act immediately to resist religious fanatics who threatened to capture an Ahmadiyya mosque in Narayanganj town tomorrow.

DCC snatches DTCB officeThe city council of Dhaka yesterday relocated the office of Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Board (DTCB) from Mohakhali to Nagar bhaban allegedly by force and overstepping its authority.

JCD gives 1 day to call off DU strikeJatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) yesterday gave one day to the combine of six opposition-backed student organisations to withdraw its strike that has kept Dhaka University (DU) paralysed for 24 days todate.

Inspectors conclude no WMD in IraqThe group hunting for banned weapons inside post-war Iraq is preparing to report that it has found no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

Manmohan offers Khaleda cooperationIndia will give 100 crore rupees in relief assistance to Bangladesh to help recoup the losses incurred in devastating floods, according to an offer made by the Indian prime minister in a letter to his

BNP sweeps municipal electionsThe ruling BNP-backed candidates yesterday won five of the eight chairmen posts in elections to as many municipalities. The following candidates were unofficially elected chairmen.

HC sends mass arrests case to regular benchA vacation bench of the High Court (HC) yesterday referred the mass arrests case to the regular bench of the HC for hearing on October 26, two days after the court reopens at the end of a 50-day annual

Justice Abedin gets gunmanConcerned about the security of Justice Joynul Abedin although it has not gone public with the finds of the one-man judicial inquiry commission he headed on the August 21 carnage, the government has provided

10 more gunned down in AssamIndia's northeast was gripped by fear yesterday following the slaughter of more villagers by rebels, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh claimed the militants behind the bloodletting were sheltering in Bangladesh.

Rain to continue 2 more daysThe current spell of rain with gusty wind across the country will continue at least two more days as the land depression that turned into a well-marked low is now centred in Andhra Pradesh of India, met

Nine drown in Netrakona boat capsizeNine people, including three children, drowned as a boat capsized in a haor at Ranichapur village in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrakona on Tuesday.

Charmonai pir threatens to stop women sportsAmir of Islamic Constitution Movement (ICM) and Charmonai Pir Fazlul Karim yesterday threatened to besiege the National Sports Council on October 9 if the government does not stop the ongoing women'sfootball

Skop strike partly successfulThe first half of the 24-hour countrywide strike at mills and factories called by Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad (Skop) was partially observed without any untoward incidents yesterday.

CDS glitch halts trade settlement in boursesTrade settlement through central depository system (CDS) in the bourses was disrupted yesterday due to a technical glitch in the server of the Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd (CDBL), the service provider

Explore stock markets for infrastructure upliftChittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Amir Humayun M Chowdhury urged the government to explore the stock markets for building much needed infrastructures of the country.

$60 a barrel if winter is colder than expectedOil prices smashed new records above 51 US dollars a barrel in Asian trading Wednesday as analysts warned 60 dollars was "within reach" if the northern winter turns out colder than expected.

Cricket:Australia prosperIndian leg-spinner Anil Kumble rea-ched 400 Test wickets on the first day of the first Test against Australia on Wednesday, though the mi-lestone failed to stop Simon Ka-tich and debutant Michael Clarke

Hockey:Hosts stumble in rehearsalBangladesh got a taste of what to expect in the virtual dress rehearsal for the final when they suffered a 1-3 defeat against India in their last robin league match of the Under-21 Challenge Cup hockey

Football:BFF won't give in to threatsBangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has vowed to continue with promoting women's football in the country despite threats from a section of fundamentalist zealots.

Cricket:Youhana powers PakistanA cracking hundred by Yousuf Youhana and an all-round display by Shoaib Malik led Pakistan into the tri-series final with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the southern city of Karachion

Swimming:Six more new nat'l recordsThe second day of the 20th National Swimming Championships was marked by six more new national records at the Army Swimming Complex yesterday.

Cricket:Rain plays foul with TigersBangladesh cricket team's net practice at the Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) was postponed yesterday due to heavy rain.

Cricket:Kiwi security boss in citySecurity manager of New Zealand Cricket Dave Woodman arrived in the capital on Tuesday night to assess the safety measures ahead of the Bangladesh-New Zealand series that begins with a three-day match

Cricket:Anil attains 400-markIndian leg-spi-nner Anil Kum-ble gave home fans plenty to cheer about when he ca-pped a glorious career by beco-ming the ninth bowler in Test history to scalp 400 wickets.

Football:Day belongs to host sidesIt was a day for hosts in the JFA Cup under-16 football tournament at different venues across the country yesterday.

Hockey:Pakistan hold IndiaPakistan held a spirited Indian side to a 1-1 draw in the sixth match of an eight-Test field hockey series here on Wednesday.

Football:FIFA shortlists 35England and Manchester United teenage sensation Wayne Rooney has made it on to the 35-strong 'shortlist' for FIFA's 2004 Player of the Year award.

Football:Rooney's fiancee shops into troubleEnglish soccer star Wayne Rooney's fiancee went on a 10,000 pound (18,000 dollars, 15,000 euros) shopping spree in New York that he paid for, but the thrills faded when British customs fined her for trying

Cricket:Chappell likely to coach WIGreg Chappell is being lined up to coach West Indies following the departure of Gus Logie on Monday.

Football:Owen has a fight on handMichael Owen on Wednesday began a 24-hour battle to be fit in time for England's World Cup qualifier against Wales.

Football:OutrageousWelfare authorities in the Solomon Islands have reacted with outrage after a local football fan offered his eight-year-old son as bait for a bet on the Solomons' clash with Australia, reports said.

Football:Ronaldo expected to playBrazil striker Ronaldo is likely to face Venezuela in Saturday's World Cup qualifier despite strains in both thighs.

Football:Not the name everyone wantedArsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has admitted he will have mixed feelings about the club's new stadium bearing the name of sponsors Emirates Airlines.

Football:BFF AGM todayThe annual general meeting of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) will be held at the National Sports Council at 9:00 am today.

Cricket:Papps also is not comingMichael Papps will miss New Zealand's tour of Bangladesh after dislocating his shoulder during training.

Kabadi:Wanderers championsDhaka Wanderers Club became unbeaten champions in the First Division Kabadi League with a 48-29 points victory over Singna Sangsad at the outer stadium court yesterday.

Cricket:Lancashire hire MuralitharanSri Lanka's world record wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan will return to county cricket and play again for Lancashire next season, the English side announced on Tuesday.

Develop proper food security system in Saarc regionFood and Disaster Management Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf yesterday called upon the Saarc countries to develop proper food security system to meet the demand of the poor during man-made and natural

Modhyapara project to cost Tk 588 cr moreRangpur: Modhyapara hard rock project will take at least more six months to be ready for operation as the North Korean company NAMNAM is yet to complete the mine development work even after time extension

Papaya brings fortuneOnce unemployed Keshob Chandra, 40, is a successful farmer. He earns about Tk two lakh a year since he began cultivating papaya on about three acres of land two years back.

Crimes up in ChuadangaThe law and order worsened in Chuadanga, a high ranking police official told this correspondent preferring anonymity. Murders have crossed all previous records, he said.

Polls bout between BNP rivals todayThe curious townspeople are awaiting a bout between an uncle and his nephew belonging to the same party in today's Srimongol pourashava election.

Small is beautifulEver thought of landscaping a forest on your rooftop? Or maybe creating a composition of a natural waterfall flowing through the stony pathway--amidst the grandeur of junipers, ferns or Banyan trees in

Lalon goes internationalTanvir Mokammel's accredited film Lalon-- based on the life of Lalon Shah-- the legendary mystical singer of rural Bengal has been invited to the prestigious 48th London International Film Festival.

Full ratification of Cedaw demandedBangladesh Mahila Parishad, a women's organisation, called for full ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw).

Rafola MeenabazarThe Retired Armed Forces Officers Ladies Association (Rafola) is going to arrange a Meenabazar on the WVA premises on October 11 and 12 in aid of an elementary school for slum children, founded by its

US-Iraqi forces forge ahead with crackdownUS and Iraqi forces swept through rebel bastions south of Baghdad and pounded positions held by Iraq's most wanted, Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, in Fallujah Wednesday, pressing on with a promised anti-insurgency

Indian Prime Minister Man-mohan Singh on Wednesday appealed to the Maharashtra electorate to vote the secular parties back to power to ensure rapid socio-economic development in the country.

Cheney, Edwards pull no punches in debateVice President Dick Cheney and Democratic Sen. John Edwards battled fiercely over the war in Iraq in a debate that featured repeated personal attacks on the other side's records and judgment.

No link between Zarqawi and Saddam: CIDA CIA report has found no conclusive evidence that former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein harbored Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which the Bush administration asserted before the invasion of Iraq.

Israel pushes on with Gaza offensiveIsrael's deadly offensive in northern Gaza entered its second week Wednesday as the Palestinian radical group Hamas threatened to step up rocket attacks and strike deeper inside the Jewish state.

Editorial:DU strike crosses critical thresholdDhaka University, the premier seat of higher learning and a trend-setter for other academic institutions, has been dysfunctional for more than three weeks, disquietingly exacerbating the existing session

Editorial:Children and the lawThe conclusion that can be made from the deliberations at the roundtable on 'Children in Trouble with Law' held jointly by The Daily Star and Save The Children UK, and participated by senior ministers,

A historic beginning, againIndian PM Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Parvez Musharraf met in New York on Sept 24 thanks to the UN General Assembly's annual session.

Prick of domination in EUFinally, the draft constitu-tion of the European Union (EU) has been approved, which needs to be ratified by the member states in about two years time.

Return of an ideologyThe three ideologies prevailing in the world are -- Communism, Capitalism and Islamand for the last 80 years Capitalism is dominating.

The role of educationEducation makes a man perfect, scholarly, philanthropic and modest. A blind man is deprived of the beautiful scenery around the world.

Work togetherIn our country, the political leaders belonging to the ruling as well the opposition parties do not seem to attach any importance to important issues.

VAT on retail shopsThe government has imposed Value Added Tax (VAT) on all types of shops including general stores. But general stores do not add any value to their items! VAT may be applicable to, say, a sweetmeat shop.

Why blame Islam?Bangladesh has recently seen a diabolical grenade attack on a political rally, pushing the whole nation into shock and awe.

Eurasian poetsIt is heartening to learn that Kaisar Haq has taken upon himself the task of introducing through your newspaper the great Eurasian poets in English whose presence was felt till the end of the BritishRaj.